Frederick George Waterhouse
Encyclopedia
Frederick George Waterhouse (25 August 1815 - 7 September 1898) was an English
naturalist
, zoologist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of the natural history
of Australia
.
Waterhouse was born near London
and worked with his elder brother George Robert Waterhouse
at the British Museum (Natural History)
. On 7 July 1852 he married Fanny Shepherd Abbott, and soon after they sailed for South Australia in the Sydney. Together they had five sons and one daughter.
In 1860 he became curator of the South Australian Institute Museum
, founded in 1856 and opened in 1862. He was a corresponding member of the Zoological Society of London
.
He joined the John McDouall Stuart Expedition 1861-1862, returning to Adelaide
in 1863 with bird and mammal skins, insects and plants, including specimens of the Princess Alexandra Parrot
, Polytelis alexandrae.
In 1872, working with Albert Molineaux, he found forty new species of fish which were described by François Louis de la Porte, comte de Castelnau
then in Melbourne
.
In 1882 he retired and lived at "Wandean" in Burnside
. In 1897 he moved to Jamestown
to live with his son, Edward George Waterhouse. He died on 7 September 1898, aged 83 years, at Mannahill between Peterborough
and Broken Hill
.
He is buried at St Georges Cemetery, Magill, South Australia
The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize
is named after him.
A river in the Northern Territory and several natural history species commemorate the Waterhouse name.
His great, great grandson is Dr Andrew Thomas
, Australia's only Astronaut and Cosmonaut.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, zoologist and entomologist who made significant contributions to the study of the natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Waterhouse was born near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and worked with his elder brother George Robert Waterhouse
George Robert Waterhouse
George Robert Waterhouse was an English naturalist.In 1833, Waterhouse was elected as the Royal Entomological Society of London's librarian and curator of insects and records....
at the British Museum (Natural History)
Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, England . Its main frontage is on Cromwell Road...
. On 7 July 1852 he married Fanny Shepherd Abbott, and soon after they sailed for South Australia in the Sydney. Together they had five sons and one daughter.
In 1860 he became curator of the South Australian Institute Museum
South Australian Museum
The South Australian Museum is a museum in Adelaide, South Australia, founded in 1856. It occupies a complex of buildings on North Terrace in the cultural precinct of the Adelaide Parklands.-History:...
, founded in 1856 and opened in 1862. He was a corresponding member of the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
.
He joined the John McDouall Stuart Expedition 1861-1862, returning to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1863 with bird and mammal skins, insects and plants, including specimens of the Princess Alexandra Parrot
Princess Parrot
The colourful Princess Parrot, Polytelis alexandrae, is an Australian bird of the parrot family. Its name was given in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who later married the Prince of Wales Edward VII and eventually became the Queen of England...
, Polytelis alexandrae.
In 1872, working with Albert Molineaux, he found forty new species of fish which were described by François Louis de la Porte, comte de Castelnau
François Louis de la Porte, comte de Castelnau
François Louis Nompar de Caumont LaPorte, comte de Castelnau was a French naturalist, known also as François Laporte or Francis de Castelnau.-Life:Born in London, he studied natural history in Paris...
then in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
In 1882 he retired and lived at "Wandean" in Burnside
Burnside, South Australia
Burnside is a small suburb that is part of the City of Burnside in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide. It is primarily a residential suburb, and was one of the first suburbs of Adelaide...
. In 1897 he moved to Jamestown
Jamestown, South Australia
Jamestown is a town in the Mid North region of South Australia north of Adelaide. It is on the banks of the Belalie Creek and on the railway line between Gladstone and Peterborough, and ultimately on the main line linking Adelaide and Perth to Sydney...
to live with his son, Edward George Waterhouse. He died on 7 September 1898, aged 83 years, at Mannahill between Peterborough
Peterborough, South Australia
Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia, in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. At the 2006 census, Peterborough had a population of 1,689....
and Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
.
He is buried at St Georges Cemetery, Magill, South Australia
Magill, South Australia
Magill is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Burnside and the City of Campbelltown.-History:Magill is a suburb located approximately 7 km from the Adelaide CBD in the eastern suburbs. Magill was first established as the Makgill Estate, owned by two Scots, Robert Cock and William Ferguson,...
The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize
Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize
The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize is the richest prize for natural history art in Australia. It is named after Frederick George Waterhouse, who was the first curator of the South Australian Museum...
is named after him.
A river in the Northern Territory and several natural history species commemorate the Waterhouse name.
His great, great grandson is Dr Andrew Thomas
Andy Thomas
Andrew "Andy" Sydney Withiel Thomas is an Australian-born American aerospace engineer and a NASA astronaut. He became a U.S. citizen in December 1986, hoping to gain entry to NASA's astronaut program...
, Australia's only Astronaut and Cosmonaut.